Shelby Cobra Roadster headlines Goodwood auction

In an auction that included a Jaguar XJR-11 Group C prototype, classic Aston Martins, Mercedes’, and Bugattis, a Shelby Cobra Roadster took top honours.

It sold for US$1.76 million, the most at this year’s Bonham’s Goodwood Revival sale. The figure also puts it as the fourth most expensive Shelby ever auctioned.

The Roadster was one of just 32 competition chassis developed and built in-house. It was built to full race-specifications, with a 4.7-litre small-block
Ford V8 fitted with quad Webers and high compression cylinder heads. Power output is around the 400hp mark.

Racing history always increases the value of cars such as these, with this Cobra competing in numerous events until the 1980s. It was actually the last
Cobra to be raced by Carroll Shelby himself, in the Texas Can-Am Challenge of 1984.

The following year it went through an exhaustive restoration and was prepared for historic racing events, which meant installing a five-point harness,
upgraded fuel system and different exhaust. These mods have since been removed but were sold along with the car so the new owner can go racing if they
want.

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